


Heat and Light

by blueorangecrush



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Scientists, Because Russia, Co-workers, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-16 13:30:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20825717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueorangecrush/pseuds/blueorangecrush
Summary: Misha doesn't know what to expect when he lands at Cooper Light biotech.  He's even less sure what to expect when the new guy shows up.





	Heat and Light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eafay70](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eafay70/gifts).

> Just a quick note that the "implied/referenced homophobia" comes up when some Russian characters talk very briefly about how they are working in the US because they aren't comfortable being openly not-straight in Russia. I don't think anything else particularly needs to be warned for, but let me know if I missed anything!

Misha was glad – not just glad, relieved – that the new biotech lab that took him had a lot of Russian guys already working there, and an obvious community outside the work. It’s – not something he wanted to exactly come out and say that he was looking for, but it’s something that made him feel a lot better, anyway.

Some places, like the last one he’d worked at, tried to make a big deal about how they didn’t care where anyone was from. But that was just it, really – _they didn’t care._

They could replace Misha with literally anyone. Preferably someone who was “a better fit”, whatever the hell that meant.

But here, in Florida, Misha might be part of the better fit.

There’s a guy, Vasya, they send to help Misha get settled in. Vasya’s Russian, too, a few years older than Misha, and reassures Misha in Russian that what matters most is if he can do the work and record the numbers. “Funny now, but my English, it was so bad when I started here. Felt like the only thing everyone understood was numbers.”

“I’ve been practicing for a while, should be okay with the basics,” Misha reassures him. “But that’s good to know. Were there other Russians?”

“Other Russians, yes. One that had wanted to retire, I think he held on just long enough to make sure I was okay. But other languages too, we get for some reason a lot of French guys from Quebec, why they come this far south I don’t know.”

“That’s where I just came from, my last lab. I picked up some French there, so if you need help with that I can try.”

“Good. Cooper Light isn’t BearTech – I hear their supervisor speaks like eight or nine languages personally, just in case, so the guys they get can come talk to him directly without interpreters no matter what or how new they are – but the more we can work together, talk to each other, the better.”

\--

Misha meets Niki, the other Russian, the next morning. Vasya brought in a big stack of draniki from the closest Russian restaurant for them to have for breakfast, and the sight of familiar food in an unfamiliar place makes the orientation meetings go so much easier.

He settles in quickly – it doesn’t take long to figure out what Vasya meant about numbers being the language of Cooper Light. Well, numbers and diagrams. Misha hears people mumbling to themselves or having rapid-fire conversations with each other in English, French, Russian, and a few other languages he’s not sure he recognizes. But the numbers making up formulas and labeling prototype diagrams stay the same.

It’s something.

\--

He’s been settled into a routine of sorts for the last few months. There’s some kind of conference in Dallas they’re supposed to get ready for, and a couple weeks before that the paperwork holdup clears and the new guy they’ve been promised for months finally shows up.

Misha wants to make sure that this new guy – Tony – feels as welcome as he felt when he started at Cooper Light, so he brings in breakfast. Not Babushka’s, just regular Starbucks, this time. Tony seems happy about it, and Misha offers to help Tony get settled in and brings Tony up to speed on what they’re working on for Dallas.

Tony’s apparently got some amazing PowerPoint skills, because he asks Misha for a copy of their presentation, and when Misha gets it back, the graphs have stopped doing that annoying thing where the y-axis gets reset all the time and the color contrast is much better on both the big screen and the handouts.

Jon Cooper himself, the guy who runs the place, shows up and makes a point of telling Tony what a great first impression he’s made, and telling Misha how much he appreciates Misha’s helping Tony get settled in.

Vasya looks upset as they get ready for the conference, and mumbles something vaguely directed at Misha about being careful who you get attached to. He refuses to explain further, so Misha asks Niki what that was about. 

“We used to have a guy here. Bishop. Real popular, all the guys liked him, Vasya loved him. They were the perfect team, everyone said it. Did the best work together. And then StarGreen, in Dallas, the ones that are gonna host the thing we’re going to? I guess they offered Bishop more money than he could refuse, right when the grant for his spot was running out here. And Vasya…like I said, he loved Bishop, they were just, how to say it, synergy come to life. Vasya misses him but he feels like he shouldn’t miss him that much, I guess?”

“Okay. Good to know.” Misha isn’t sure what to say to that.

\--

It makes more sense after the conference. Vasya was nowhere to be found for most of it, and Niki was obviously catching up with old friends himself. Misha spends a lot of time with Tony, wandering around Dallas together, coming back to Misha’s room to watch movies.

They fall asleep on Misha’s hotel bed, and maybe it should be weird, but the weirdest part is that it isn’t weird at all.

\--

Vasya is calm but wistful when they get back. “I miss Ben. He was…best partner.”

Misha isn’t sure he should ask, but he feels like he has to know. “Lab partner, or…?”

Vasya looks right at him. “Both. Does that bother you?”

Misha smiles. “No.”

Vasya smiles back, just a little. “Have to wonder. I mean, a lot of us from Russia, it’s _why_ we’re here instead of there, but if not…could make it harder if people know.”

Misha just nods. He’s not sure what he means, if he’s just understanding or if he’s agreeing that that’s why he’s here too, but he thinks of Tony and wonders.

He has some research to do. What does the employee handbook say about co-worker relationships?

When he gets back to his desk and looks it up, he sees that as long as nobody is in a direct supervisory relationship, it’s allowed, but that they won’t guarantee joint contracts to any couple for any reason.

\--

They’re getting ready for a longer conference, this time in Boston. Misha’s tired from going over notes, his throat sore from reading and re-reading the presentation he is supposed to give.

Tony shows up with tea and honey cakes from Babushka’s – obviously the man has done his research, which makes sense, that’s why they would hire him. Still, Misha’s glad that Tony thought of him.

“What do I owe you, or do you just want me to grab lunch later?” he asks Tony.

Tony shakes his head, his face just a little bit red. “You don’t owe – but lunch would be good.”

Misha wants to grab hold of Tony’s hand as they head out. He doesn’t – it’s not like they’re dating. Well, it’s _like_ they’re dating, but they’re not dating.

Are they?

When he’s sure they’re out of earshot of everyone, he asks. “Tony, um, is this a date?”

“Do you want it to be?” Tony asks. “Because if you do, then yeah, it is.”

“I want it to be,” Misha answers, smiling.


End file.
